A day of discipline for Prasidh Krishna

On a Colombo pitch where India had piled up 503/9, there was little conventional assistance for fast bowlers. Yet Prasidh Krishna, operating alongside Mohammed Siraj, found a way to make the surface talk. He bowled hard lengths, extracted bounce and, crucially, maintained enough control to keep Sri Lanka's batters uncomfortable.

His figures on Tuesday read 3/47 from 14 overs, the best by an Indian bowler on the day. Manav Suthar took 3/87. Sri Lanka closed at 265/8, still 238 runs behind India's first-innings total, after Sonal Dinusha (85 not out) and Prasindu Sooriyabandara (80) dug in to defy the visitors.

Prasidh's first wicket came on Monday, when a back-of-a-length delivery straightened and took the edge of Lahiru Udara, with Yashasvi Jaiswal completing a sharp catch. On Tuesday morning he repeated the mantra of pace and hard length, beating left-hander Kamil Mishara for bounce and finding an edge behind, before returning to dismiss Kamindu Mendis with another short ball.

From promise to persistence

For Prasidh, the path here has not been smooth. Back in 2017, then chairman of selectors MSK Prasad told journalists the tall Karnataka pacer was one to watch. He made his ODI debut in 2021, his Test debut two years later, and by age 30 had played only eight Tests. Injuries repeatedly interrupted his progress, while expensive spells made him a target for criticism.

The talent was never really in question. The consistency was. Tuesday offered another glimpse of what India have long believed he can become — not just a bowler with height, pace and bounce, but one who sticks to a plan.

In the first Test in Galle, Prasidh took three wickets, including 2/16 in the second innings. His recent record includes six wickets in the Sydney Test against Australia and 14 wickets on the 2025 England tour, capped by an eight-wicket haul in the fifth Test at The Oval. In the IPL, he won the Purple Cap in 2025 with 25 wickets for Gujarat Titans and took 16 wickets in the 2026 season. Overall, he now has 31 wickets from nine Tests.

Morkel: 'He has the media on his back'

Bowling coach Morne Morkel was full of praise for how Prasidh handled external noise.

"It showed the character of Prasidh. He has the media on his back, the commentators on his back, to fight through that," Morkel said. "It's about quieting those voices and just playing cricket. As a team, we always knew about his potential. As soon as you get into this environment, you want to impress a billion cricket fans, you are under the microscope, every movement gets analysed, and sometimes you try and fight against those elements. But Prasidh, for me, the biggest change is just to let go of all those thoughts, all those comments that are made on him. He is just enjoying his cricket."

Morkel also credited Prasidh's work ethic. The pacer prepared at the Karnataka Institute of Cricket with Devdutt Padikkal before the Sri Lanka tour, and Morkel described him as a hard worker and a student of the game who does extensive homework and research.

A tactical role with reward

Morkel highlighted Prasidh's role as a short-ball bowler, often used in risky phases for reward.

"Prasidh has got that extra pace. He's got that bounce for us," Morkel said, adding that it is sometimes a tough job but Krishna has done it well over the last few years.

Despite challenging conditions, Morkel stressed that such days help develop character. "We always talk about bowling in partnerships. We always talk about creating pressure. This is how you learn it — on days like today when there's a batting partnership going," he said. The coach welcomed tough times as they build character and provide good conversation after a day's play.

A long-term prospect

Sanjay Manjrekar, speaking on Sony Sports, said Prasidh is a different kind of threat, comparing his ability to get batters out on the backfoot to West Indies pace greats.

Morkel went further, saying Prasidh has the potential and talent to play for India for a very long time in all formats.

As the match moves into its final days, Morkel hopes Prasidh can complete his first five-wicket haul on Wednesday. Sri Lanka's resistance, led by Dinusha and Sooriyabandara, suggests the task is not yet complete, but the pacer's transformation from a target for critics to a disciplined, match-winning presence is becoming harder to ignore.